Thursday, October 30, 2008

Last Saturday I participated in the American Diabetes Associations Step Out and Fight for Diabetes walk in Stockton, CA. This was a small event but for a good cause. I had a chance to meet so many really great people from the ADA as well as many of the sponsors of the event.

This is a picture of Derron, great guy who and an Optometrist who had a display at the walk as well. He happen to be checking out all the displays, walked by my Team Beacbhody and noticed Team Beachbody sign and me standing there with my P90X shirt on. Turns out he had been on the fence about buying the program, he had plenty of questions about the program, nutrition, etc., as most people do. Everyone welcome Derron to the world of P90X, as he and his wife should be starting the program soon. They have a goal to be Beachbodies for their trip to Mexico in January! :)

I'll be checking in on Derron regularly making sure he's pushing play and enjoying the journey!

I'll get some pics up of the event once I get around to downloading them from my camera in the next couple days.

Tonight was Yoga X night. I know so many people proclaim their dislike for yoga particularly YogaX. As many of you know, I LOVE IT! Settling in and focusing on each move, sweating like a crazy man and finishing strong is something I always strive for.

After each yoga workout I always feel like rubber, legs tingling, it's a great feeling. If you're a P90Xer, you've got to get past the 90 min. workout and the crazy poses and your falling all over the place, that stuff happens to everyone and in many cases, mine included, it happens every time I do yoga. Move past it, and just enjoy it.

When Tony says, "Take in the fact that you just did that, pretty sweet." You know you've done the hard work.

Yoga is just part of the fitness puzzle, not doing it will leave your fitness wanting. Just like any of the workouts you'll do, this is all part of it, do your best and forget the rest.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Back in the old days before pulldowns , cable rows and DB Rows , building a strong , V-shaped back was pretty basic. You did pull-ups. That was it. And you know what? That was all you needed to develop an unbelievable backside.

Unfortunately , somewhere in the evolution of resistance training or “DE-evolution” as I call it , pull-ups fell out of favor. There has NEVER been a line at any pull-up bar at ANY Gym that I have ever worked out in!

Pull-ups involve more motor units in your lats and rear delts then do pull-downs on a machine. For any given number of reps , pull-ups will ALWAYS create more demand on the muscle fibers of your upper back because , unlike pull-downs on a machine , you cannot “cheat” and use your lower back to move the load.

Second , the strength gains achieved from performing pull-ups are functional. They spill over into certain real life tasks , such as pulling yourself over a fence or up a steep rock face.

Third , there is something to be said for “pulling your own weight.” Its strength displayed in its purest form. Its the mark of a real man or woman.

Over 6 million people will see a doctor this year for back related problems. Using pull-ups , there is a good chance you will not be one of them.

When designing P90X Tony Horton centered the Resistance work around pull-ups. Tony is a smart man!

Pull-ups are hard. It is because of that very fact that we should work on them with as much intensity as we can muster. Are you a little nervous before Chest & Back or Legs & Back day? If you are , you are on the right track because you know its going to be hard and therefore effective.....

Thursday, October 16, 2008

A question was asked about a product by Gaspari Nutrition called Superpump 250. Here's my take.

In looking at Superpump 250, it contains nitric oxide and creatine mix with a propietary blend from the manufacturer. You've probably check it out but nitric oxide is an essential regulator of vasodilation and increase blood flow to the muscles increasing your "pumps". Gaspari Nutrition claims it's product increased the muscle mass size of subjects tested with one dose by 2 1/2 times more then those that didn't use the product and that after a 30 day usage, compared to a placebo group it increased their lean muscle mass by 947% greater increase in muscle mass and 234% increase in reps to failure. Sounds like a massive stimulant to me, but I've never use it before. The directions say that individuals who are sensitive to stimulants should start by using small dosages. It does appear to be a product designed for the body builder community.

I'm not endorsing or saying anyone should try this but because I get curious about these types of products I like to share.

I'm a big believer of proper nutrition, expecially when doing extreme fitness programs like P90X. If you're looking to maximize your workouts and learn more about how you can do it with nutrition I highly recommend reading Nutrient Timing Amazon.com Widgets

Monday, October 13, 2008

Working with the American Diabetes Association, Beachbody has created this program as an all-in-one program with easy to follow meal plan and a workout program for all fitness level. Through this relationship, ADA and Beachbody want to change the future of diabetes by preventing the number of people who are diagnosed with the decease and reducing the number of people with diabetes who develop complications.

Every 21 seconds someone is diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, this is a break through program designed specifically to fight this terrible disease.

The exact release date has not yet been set but it is scheduled for October 2008

Thursday, October 9, 2008

P90X® Results and Recovery Formula: Not Just for After ExerciseBy Aaron Lowe

Let's talk about everyone's favorite topic: P90X. Well, maybe, everyone's second favorite topic: P90X Results and Recovery Formula. Before we dive into the meat of this article, let's clear up one major misconception about our P90X line of nutritional products: you don't have to be following our P90X training program to enjoy all the benefits they provide. For example, P90X Results and Recovery Formula can be used by anyone following a workout program, especially any of our programs; by individuals with physically demanding jobs; and even as a replacement for sports drinks. Sure, if you "Bring It," these products will support the P90X system of intense training. But, for those who simply want to maximize their results from their weight loss and fitness program, don't overlook what these products can do for you.

One of the main misconceptions about P90X Results and Recovery Formula is that "it contains too many carbohydrates" or "too much sugar." In our carb- and calorie-conscious culture, it's understandable to be concerned about carbs and sugar; however, there are many myths out there that we need to clear up so you can make an informed decision.

The confusion on carbohydrates Carbohydrates are absolutely essential for you to function. They are classified as a "macronutrient," as are protein and fats. The problem is that "carbs" have been vilified over the last few years, and the no-/low-carb diet trend is still fairly popular. The fact of the matter is we do need carbohydrates in our diets for energy, especially for the brain and central nervous system to function. In fact, I've always made it a challenge to find a competitive, world-class endurance athlete who does not ingest a tremendous amount of carbohydrates every single day to get through his or her training and competition. To date, I've yet to hear of an athlete who eschews carbohydrates as a mainstay in his or her diet.

Where the problem lies is in the total amount and the type of carbs we eat every day. We tend to overeat way too many processed carbohydrates: white-flour-based foods and products sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. Excess consumption of these types of carbs is a double-edged sword—they are sources of empty calories and they tend to cause an insulin response that removes excess sugar from the blood but tends to store it as fat rather than using it for energy. The hormonal feedback mechanism also causes one to crave carbohydrates after the insulin release, so you repeat the process over and over. For many of us, this roller coaster of excess blood sugar, and the corresponding insulin response, is a constant occurrence during our waking hours.

What this all adds up to is that this excess sugar that's removed from the blood isn't used for energy; it's either stored as glycogen for later use as blood sugar (unlikely, since most of us hardly ever tap into our glycogen stores, so they don't need refilling), or, more than likely, it's stored as fat.

The problem with most sports drinks The sports beverage industry is a multibillion-dollar business, and there is no end in sight for sales slowing down. Where most sports beverages miss the boat is in their ability to provide all the nutrients needed during exercise. What science has learned over the last 10 years is that sports drinks are more effective if they include some protein along with water and carbohydrates. The currently accepted ratio is four parts carbohydrates to one part protein. The protein and carbohydrates combination allows one to exercise at a higher level for a longer time. Unfortunately, most sports drinks on the market still adhere to a carbohydrate-only approach to energy replacement.

Fitting in P90X Results and Recovery Now that we understand the facts about the importance of carbohydrates and which ones to avoid, we can see how we can incorporate P90X Results and Recovery Formula into our fitness and healthy lifestyle. Rule number one is that this product has to be counted in as part of your overall nutrition program. If you are following a diet that limits your daily calories (and we all should be), then the calories in P90X Results and Recovery Formula have to be factored into your total daily intake. If you are on a 1,200-calorie-per-day nutrition program, then 1,000 calories should come from your meals and 200 calories from P90X Results and Recovery Formula.

Secondly, the amount of carbohydrates (CHO) in the product is there for several reasons. Activity requires energy, and energy for your body primarily comes in the form of CHO. Carbohydrates convert to blood sugar, which is the fuel for hungry muscles. As you exercise, your body will use its circulating blood sugar and tap into its glycogen stores. This is all for providing energy to your muscles. The longer the duration of exercise, the more you tap into your storage facilities and the more CHO you burn.

Remember the insulin response we discussed earlier? One little known secret is that this response is greatly minimized during exercise. That means that your body is pretty smart—it understands that it wouldn't be smart to remove energy-providing blood sugar while exerting high amounts of energy, so it allows the extra blood sugar to remain in circulation so it can be burned as energy.

P90X Results and Recovery Formula is an excellent fluid-replacement and energy drink to use before and while you work out. If you mix a serving and start using it before your workout, you will ensure that your muscles have optimal amounts of CHO to get you through a grueling workout session AND that you get a jump start on recovery. What's even more cool about the product is that it has the 4-to-1 ratio of carbs to protein that scientists agree is optimal for energy replacement. (Hint, if your workout is short, mix it half-strength.)

Finally, when you cease exercising, your body immediately begins its recovery phase and wants to replenish those nutrients used during exercise. First, it wants to replenish used CHO to keep its storage mechanisms topped off. Second, it wants to repair cellular damage—via amino acids. We've formulated P90X Results and Recovery Formula with 39 grams of CHO and 10 grams of protein specifically for this purpose. It also contains a combination of antioxidants, like vitamins E and C, to support repair of the oxidative damage done during exercise.

Yeah, I know this article sounded like a blatant advertisement for P90X Results and Recovery Formula, but its benefits are so great that I wanted to share them with all of you. Instead of reaching for one of those "'ade" drinks the next time you are working out, reach for P90X Results and Recovery Formula and give your body what it really needs!

Part of Team Xtreme Fitness is we have several challenges, one of them being Jump Knee Tucks. The Challenge is done the second time through the rotation when Domi goes double time. You do as many Jump Knee Tucks as you can, form is going to falter but that's only a secondary concern, the main goal is, Give Me Your Max!

Here is Thomas, aka, golfpro giving it his all! Great work Thomas! Next time, lets try it with 5 lbs. dumbbells. :)

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Yesterday I did a crazy workout; Upper Body Plus, Interval X Plus and Abs/Core Plus. Why? Good question. I do this from time to time to challenge myself to see how far I can push myself and to see how my body reacts and recovers.

I also do this to kick myself into gear if I'm feeling like my workouts have become stale or complacent or just not intense enough. I've found that after a few months of doing a rotation of P90X or P90X+ that I get "comfortable" with my workouts, nutrition & results.

I don't recommend anyone do this type of workout often, but a "shock" to the system can be a good thing. So may people have no idea how far they can push themselves. Many people do P90X and find that they've pushed themselves farther then they ever thought possible, but what do after you've completed round 1 or 2 or ?

Never be 100% satisfied with where you are for too long, that's when bad habits can creep back in. Finding your breaking point helps establish a baseline so when you're crushing Chest and Back and get to 50 Standard Push ups...you know in the back of your mind that you CAN get 5 more!

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Cruising the blogs this morning, checking out all my favorites to see what's new in the bloggesphere I checked out Tony Horton's latest post. How many times have you said, "I hate the way I look!", or I wish I could fit into those old jeans." Tony talks about what we all know to be true. You can't cut corners on your health and fitness, working out regularly and eating healty works everytime it's tried.

I could continue on however that would just be redundant...read Tony's post.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Received an email today from someone looking to "inform" me about the new wave of nutritional vitamin supplementation. It's DNA Supplements designed specifically to support your individual DNA make up.

Wow, is there ever a lot of magic pills, drinks, and gels out there on the market designed to do everything from Electrifying your body...whatever that is, to removing the fat from your colon walls like scraping Spackle. HUH? Maybe I'm just uninformed and not willing to "believe" but every time I hear this kind of pitch my first reaction is that the only supplementation this thing is doing is supplementing the seller's wallet.

I have a similar opinion about programs like Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem. Both very successful programs for many people as the commercials will show. My biggest problem with these are that they are one legged. "You just Eat & Eat", goes the line. Okay, but how "fit" are you? What do you learn by eating pre-packaged meals? What do you do when you go to a restaurant? Do you bring your meal with you and ask the waiter if he wouldn't mind popping this in their microwave?

Without really understanding what good nutrition is, how do you sustain any weight loss you have? You stop buying Nutrisystem and or going to Weight Watchers, then what? Most likely you're going to go right back to where you started and quite possibly you'll end up heavier then before you started.

I can also say with personal knowledge that the other end of the spectrum doesn't work either. If you workout, all the time, hit the gym, run, walk, cycle or swim but don't follow a good nutritional philosophy, you're not going to have the kinds of results you'd expect for all the hard work you're putting in.

A fitness program without a nutritional program doesn't work. A diet program without a fitness program doesn't work either. However what has been proven to work over and over again is a fitness program tied with a nutritional program along with a support group to help you through the rough times works every time it's tried.

The simple fact is your health and fitness will be far better off by implementing; portion control, a fitness regiment, & peer support.

I hear this all the time when I talk with people who want to get into shape is, "I don't know where to start." People will start walking, running, join a gym or go on a diet, and then try it all on their own. Like any journey, without a plan you're planning to fail.

This is why I love the Beacbbody product line. Each and every one of them has a defined plan for success. No gidgets and gadgets, just good old fashioned hard work and sound nutrition.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Okay...She not a "Real Rock Star" and she doesn't consider herself as one, I just like to give her a little grief. That's a big surprise there.. ) However she has been a fantastic help to me recently.

I had a chance to talk with Monica Ward today, one of Beachbody's 5 Star coaches. I love talking with her, her energy and knowlege is only surpassed by her willingness to help people succeed! She is a valued friend! Can't wait to see her and her Arizona Team at the next Coach Summit in So. Cal!